Govindia hits back at Trump

The Leader of Wandsworth Council Cllr Ravi Govindia has given his reaction to the comments made by President Trump regarding the location of the new American Embassy.

In a tweet earlier the President of the United States described the new embassy as having been built in “an off-location”, givng his dislike of the deal to sell the Grosvenor Square site, and move to Nine Elms as his reason for cancelling a planned trip tot he UK.

Responding to the comment, Cllr Govindia, who is also co-chair of the Nine Elms Vauxhall Partnership, said: “If Nine Elms was off location yesterday, it is certainly centre stage today.

“The US ambassador has spoken about the pride he and his staff feel in their new embassy. Not only are they moving to an iconic new Zone 1 building that’s closer to Downing Street than the current embassy, they’re also are part of the £15 billion transformation of this part of central London that’s bringing 20,000 new homes and 25,000 permanent jobs.

“It is also where tech giant Apple is moving its entire UK operation so it’s clearly not an off-location for them.

“The Nine Elms area also contains New Covent Garden Market and Battersea Power Station. It will bring two new tube stations to the borough and will also be home to Penguin Random House and the Royal College of Art’s new Innovations Centre in Battersea.

“The US Embassy, along with these high profile digital and technology institutions coming to Nine Elms will have a welcome knock-on effect in encouraging other big name companies to make a similar move.

“And of course one of the great selling points of Nine Elms is its connectivity. It’s within walking distance of Sloane Square and the Houses of Parliament and, as well as the two new tube stations, we’ve seen these transport links strengthen further with the opening of new pier at Battersea Power Station’s Circus West Village. This now connects us, through the River Bus service operated by MBNA Thames Clippers, to Embankment, Blackfriars and Canary Wharf via a network of piers along the Thames.”

Councillor Govindia added: “We are very excited about hosting the new American Embassy here in Nine Elms, the arrival of which was one of the key elements in helping to kick start the exciting regeneration of this part of central London, bringing thousands of new jobs, homes and public realm improvements.

“No other development project can match Nine Elms in terms of social and economic benefits. As opposed to being ‘off location’ I would say Nine Elms is very much London’s most exciting destination with a huge amount to offer.”